1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a wearable device for performing fall detection.
2. Description of Related Art
Each year, millions of elderly people around the world especially women experience falls resulting in hip fractures mainly, femoral neck fractures. Hip fractures in the elderly result in physical suffering, loss of independence, a deteriorating mental state and high mortality rate.
US patent application publication, US20130312168 of the present Applicant, discloses an active hip protector system and method for hip fracture prevention including a belt-like pouch, worn over the user's waist, containing airbags which are inflated to a large size ensuring that the user's thighs will not hit the ground upon impact, once the system detects a fall. The pouch contains distance measurement sensors, acceleration and spatial orientation sensors. A pneumatic system, including the airbags, is carried within the pouch or in another location.